Menu

musings of a mommy brain

Post navigation

Top 5 “When I was a Kid…” Moments

I’m certain that at several points in my adolescence I swore up and down that I would never become one of “those old people” who goes around telling the youth of America how much harder I had it as a kid. Because, really…how annoying!

Alas, much the same way I said I would never let my toddler have an iPhone, here I am eating my words.

(in my defense, I did NOT go buy him an iPhone, but simply gave him the dismantled remnants of my previous iPhone that he had bashed the brains out of in hope is would deter him from doing the same to new pretty shiny phone…I’m sure you all can imagine how well THAT worked.)

In any event, it is SO TRUE that kids (and tots) today are in a whole different universe than our formative selves.

We had politically incorrect and self-imagine damaging toys like Barbies and G. I. Joes. Sure they still make them now, but back in MY day, we had to actually use our imaginations to bring them to life *gasp*.

I’m pretty sure there’s an app for that now.

Without further adieu…

“When I Was a Kid,

5. “You couldn’t stalk your crush from behind the safety of a computer screen through Facebook, twitter and instagram….you had ONE lousy yearbook picture to stare at endlessly…you had to actually come up with a reason to drive past their house…wind up at their favorite hang-outs…convince a friend of a friend to arrange a group outing to the movies. All so that you could eventually get rejected IN PERSON.” Then spend 5 years of therapy to convince yourself, I AM enough.

4. “Just because you were in your room talking in hushed voices to your best friend about all things gossip, doesn’t mean your big brother wasn’t in the other room listening in to your phone conversation”

3. “If you were driving and got lost, you had to call for help (yes, my driving years did have cell phones, so I lucked out there) but the joy of trying to explain to your father where you were exactly (WHY are you in downtown?!) and then find a way out by following his verbal cues was nothing shy of the blind leading the blind.”

2. “If you got bored in church or class, you just had to be bored. Even with cell phones, they didn’t have games like they do now…and God forbid if you were caught with your phone in your hand during class or church!”

1. “If you missed seeing someone, you had to either get in a car, or buy a plane ticket and go see them. You couldn’t push a button on a phone or computer and within seconds be face to face. That was just stuff out of the Jetson’s”

It’s that last point, really, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. You see, I took Easton over to his Nena’s (my mom) house for a visit. Oftentimes, we visit Nena on Saturday, when she is babysitting his cousin, Addie. Of course, not having any comprehension of the days of the week, he is rightfully confused as to why Addie isn’t there.

“Mommy, where Addie?”

“Addie is with her mommy and daddy today….in Colorado”

“Wanna see Addie!”

“We can’t see Addie tonight, but I’m sure you’ll get to play with her very soon.” *grabs my finger and pulls me towards the front door* “Where are we going?”

“Addie house”

“Baby, we can’t go to Addie’s house tonight, we’re here to see Nena and Pops.”

“WANNA PLAY ADDIE!!!!”

“Okay, okay, come here *he is now trying to open the door* how about we call Addie and say Hi to her?”

“Yes!”

So, I grab my phone, which is promptly yanked out of my hand with an “I HOLD IT!” (to answer any lingering curiosity from above about how my new pretty shiny iPhone is holding up)….and we Facetime Aunt Karie (Addie’s mom).

I don’t know about you, but there is something bittersweet about watching two toddlers (both under 3) Facetime with each other. It is absolutely and utterly precious how much they adore each other, yet at the same time I am overwhelmed with a fear that my son will grow up in a world where anything and everything he wants is at the touch of his fingers, without even the slightest hint of gratitude. Because, after all, hasn’t life always been this easy??SO let’s hear it! What “when I was a kind” moments would you add to the list?